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The Apple Watch is known for its advanced health features, but the long-awaited blood pressure monitoring feature continues to be delayed. According to a recent report, design changes to the Apple Watch Series 10 caused problems in implementing this feature.
According to a report by Mark Gurman (Bloomberg) Apple originally planned to include a blood pressure monitoring feature in a future version of the Apple Watch. Rumors suggested this could happen with the Series 10. However, Gurman reports that problems arose during testing due to the Series 10's new design. This has led to the launch of the feature being further delayed.
Why blood pressure measurement is delayed
Blood pressure measurement was considered one of the major innovations to be integrated into the Apple Watch. But Apple is facing technical challenges. The design changes to the Apple Watch Series 10 have made testing the function difficult. Apple wants to ensure that blood pressure measurement is accurate and reliable before it comes to market. Therefore, the introduction of this feature has been postponed indefinitely. Nikkei had already reported in 2021 that blood pressure measurement could be introduced with the Series 7, but this turned out to be false. The Series 10 was considered the next possible candidate. Now it remains to be seen when this feature will actually be available.
How should blood pressure measurement work?
Traditionally, blood pressure is measured using a cuff that is placed around the upper arm. However, Apple is working on a cuff-free solution. The idea is that the Apple Watch will measure blood flow and artery stiffness on the wrist. This could work similarly to other devices, such as the Huawei Watch D, which have issues with accuracy. The Mayo Clinic points out that wrist blood pressure monitors often give inaccurate results, so Apple will need to focus on improving the accuracy of the measurements before releasing the feature.
Accuracy problems and challenges
One of the biggest challenges with wrist blood pressure measurement is correct positioning. If the Apple Watch is not worn correctly or the wrist is not at heart level, the results can be distorted. To prevent this, Apple must develop technology that delivers accurate values despite these limitations. It is believed that Apple could use artificial intelligence to better interpret the data collected and thus enable more precise results. This would set the Apple Watch apart from existing devices that often deliver inaccurate values.
What can we expect?
Despite the delay, it's likely that Apple is working on a reliable and easy-to-use blood pressure monitoring feature. When exactly this feature will be available remains unclear. Apple is known for not releasing new technology until it meets the company's high standards, so it could be some time before this feature is found in an Apple Watch.
Apple Watch: Why blood pressure measurement is taking a while
The introduction of the blood pressure measurement function in the Apple Watch has been delayed due to design problems with the Series 10. Apple is continuing to work on developing a precise and user-friendly solution, but it may take some time before this function is ready for the market. Until then, the Apple Watch remains one of the best wearables on the market. (Image: Apple)
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